This invention relates to photonic devices in general, and more particularly to tunable filters and tunable lasers.
In pending prior U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/105,399, filed Jun. 26, 1998 by Parviz Tayebati et al. for MICROELECTROMECHANICALLY TUNABLE, CONFOCAL, VERTICAL CAVITY SURFACE EMITTING LASER AND FABRY-PEROT FILTER, and in pending prior U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/543,318, filed Apr. 05, 2000 by Peidong Wang et al. for SINGLE MODE OPERATION OF MICROMECHANICALLY TUNABLE, HALF-SYMMETRIC, VERTICAL CAVITY SURFACE EMITTING LASERS, which patent applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference, there are disclosed tunable Fabry-Perot filters and tunable vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSEL""s).
More particularly, and looking now at FIG. 1, there is shown a tunable Fabry-Perot filter 5 formed in accordance with the aforementioned U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 09/105,399 and 09/543,318. Filter 5 generally comprises a substrate 10, a bottom mirror 20 mounted to the top of substrate 10, a bottom electrode 15 mounted to the top of bottom mirror 20, a thin support 25 atop bottom electrode 15, a top electrode 30 fixed to the underside of thin support 25, a reinforcer 35 fixed to the outside perimeter of thin support 25, and a confocal top mirror 40 set atop thin support 25, with an air cavity 45 being formed between bottom mirror 20 and top mirror 40.
As a result of this construction, a Fabry-Perot filter is effectively created between top mirror 40 and bottom mirror 20. Furthermore, by applying an appropriate voltage across top electrode 30 and bottom electrode 15, the position of top mirror 40 can be changed relative to bottom mirror 20, whereby to change the length of the Fabry-Perot cavity, and hence tune Fabry-Perot filter 5.
Correspondingly, and looking next at FIG. 2, a tunable vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) 50 can be constructed by positioning a gain medium 55 between bottom mirror 20 and bottom electrode 15. As a result, when gain medium 55 is appropriately stimulated, e.g., by optical pumping, lasing can be established within air cavity 45 and gain medium 55, between top mirror 40 and bottom mirror 20. Furthermore, by applying an appropriate voltage across top electrode 30 and bottom electrode 15, the position of top mirror 40 can be changed relative to bottom mirror 20, whereby to change the length of the laser""s resonant cavity, and hence tune VCSEL 50.
Tunable Fabry-Perot filters and tunable VCSEL""s of the type disclosed in the aforementioned U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 09/105,399 and 09/543,318 are highly advantageous since they can be quickly and easily tuned by simply changing the voltage applied across the top electrode and the bottom electrode.
However, it has been found that tunable Fabry-Perot filters and tunable VCSEL""s of the type disclosed in U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 09/105,399 and 09/543,318 have performance characteristics which can vary slightly from unit to unit. In addition, it has also been found that the performance characteristics of any given unit can vary slightly in accordance with its age, temperature, etc. Accordingly, it is generally not possible to precisely predict in advance the exact voltage which must be applied to a particular device in order to tune that device to a specific frequency. This can present an issue in some applications, particularly telecommunications applications, where the devices may need to be tuned to precise, absolute wavelengths.
As a result, one object of the present invention is to provide a novel wavelength reference apparatus for calibrating a tunable Fabry-Perot filter and/or a tunable VSCEL, whereby the device may be tuned to a precise, absolute wavelength.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel wavelength-locking apparatus for tuning a tunable Fabry-Perot filter and/or a tunable VCSEL to a precise, absolute wavelength, and for thereafter keeping that device tuned to that wavelength.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel method for calibrating a tunable Fabry-Perot filter and/or a tunable VSCEL, whereby the device may be tuned to a precise, absolute wavelength.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a novel method for wavelength-locking a tunable Fabry-Perot filter and/or a tunable VCSEL, whereby to tune the device to a precise, absolute wavelength, and for thereafter keeping that device tuned to that wavelength.
Still other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the present disclosure.
In one form of the invention, there is provided a wavelength reference apparatus for use in calibrating a device such as a tunable Fabry-Perot filter or a tunable VCSEL to a precise, absolute frequency, the wavelength reference apparatus comprising a Michelson interferometer for splitting light emitted from the device over first and second optical paths and then recombining that light, a detector for detecting the recombined light received from the Michelson interferometer, and determining means for determining the absolute wavelength of the emitted light from the recombined light received by the detector.
In another form of the invention, there is provided a wavelength-locking apparatus for use in tuning a device such as a tunable Fabry-Perot filter or a tunable VCSEL to a precise, absolute frequency, the wavelength locking apparatus comprising a Michelson interferometer for splitting light emitted from the device over first and second optical paths and then recombining that light, a detector for detecting the recombined light received from the Michelson interferometer, determining means for determining the absolute wavelength of the emitted light from the recombined light received by the detector, and a controller for tuning the device by monitoring the absolute wavelength of the emitted light as determined by the determining means and providing feedback to the device.
In yet another form of the invention, there is provided a method for tuning a tunable Fabry-Perot filter or a tunable VCSEL, comprising the steps of: splitting light emitted from the device along first and second optical paths, wherein at least one of the paths includes passing the light through a wavelength selective element; recombining the light from the first and second optical paths onto a detector; and analyzing an output signal generated by the detector to determine the wavelength of light emitted from the device.